Spring bracket and method of making same



Oct. 29, I 929.

A. W. FRE HSE SPRING BRACKET AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed April '7,1928 Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED sr s ALBERT w... FREHSE, or DETROIT,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To GENERAL MOTORS con PORATION, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN,A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SPRING BRACKET AND METHOD OF MAKINGApplication filed April 7,

This invention relates to spring suspension for motor vehicles and, moreparticularly, to an improved spring horn, or hanger bracket, and themethod of making the same.

The invention contemplates the provision of a bracket comprising apair'of spaced ears for the pivotal mounting of a vehicle springtherebetween and a shank portion for attachment at the extremity of .alongitudinally extending chassis frame member, the

bracket being formed by dividing a bar that has been rolled to apredetermined shape into a number of sections, each section constitutingone bracket.

Heretofore, the general practice among manufacturers has been to eithercast or forge the spring brackets and machine the catings or forgings tothe desired shape. In either event, the cost is quite high and in casethe brackets are cast an inferior article is likely to be obtained. Theprincipal ob ject of the present invention is to devise a method bywhich the brackets may be made from rolled or forged sections, whichrequire a minimum of machining, thereby both reducing the cost andinsuring a more uniform product. The invention also relates to certaindetails of the brackets themselves.

The invention will be more clearly understood upon reference to theaccompanying drawing in which: a

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bar of metal as it appears after therolling operation. 1 y r Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a section thathas been cut from the rolled'bar and formed into the desired shape.

Figs. 3 and 4 are an end elevation and a side elevation, respectively,of the completed bracket.

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevations looking in opposite directions of thebracket secured in a frame member.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of a modified form of the bracket, and

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing'the modified bracket attached to theframe.

In the manufacture of brackets according to the present invention a barof metal is first subjected to a rolling operation, to form 1928. SerialNo. 268,188.

substantially aligned with each other and having adjacent their ends theenlarged portions 3 and 4, respectively, which later constitute thespaced ears of the bracket, and a web or leg 5, extending upwardlyfromthe webs 1' and 2, intermediate the ends thereof, to pro vide the shankof the bracket. I The bar is also provided with an enlargement 6 in thecorner between the angular webs or flanges 2' and 5,'for the purpose tobe later described. f 1 V The bar thus formed is divided or cut into anumber-of sections of equal width, as indicated by the series of dottedlines marked 7 in Fig. 1, after which each sections is pressed or bentfrom the rolled shape, illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2," to,the shape shown'in full lines; that is,'the web 5 is slightly offset,or moved sidewise, and the portions 3 and 4 are bent down into substan-.

'tial parallelism with each other, to form a 'pa1r of spaced ears.Aligned apertures or holes 8 are'then formed bydrilling or piercing theears 3 and 4, for the receptionof a spring or shackle bolt; a hole 9 isalso formed in the oflset shank 5 for the passage of a fastening elementor rivet 10, to secure the bracket to the verticalweb 11 of the channelshaped chassis frame member, and a hole 12 is provided in theenlargement '6 extending at right angles to the hole 9, for the passageof bolt or rivet 13, for the attachment of the bracket with the upperand lower flanges 14 and 15, respectively, of the frame member.

To insure a snug fit of the bracket within the end of the frame member,the shank 5 of the bracket is'preferably beveled or cham fered as, at16, to afl'ord'clearance at the cor ners or bends between the flanges 14and 15' extend for a short distance beyond the vertical web 11 and theleg or lateral webl of the bracket extends between the flanges and abutsor bears against the end of the vertical web 11 of the frame member,thus in suring a firm connection and serving to relieve the fasteningrivets from the severity of stresses and strains, which might otherwisetend to shear the rivets, or tear and split the material of the framemember at the rivet 'shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 7. These legs arelater pressed or bent into substantial parallelism after the mannerheretofore referred to, to form the spaced ears between which a vehiclespring is pivotally mounted. Aligned bolt holes 20 are then formed inthe cars 18 and 19 and the apertures 21 and 22, for the fasteningelements are provided in the shank portion 17. The sides of the shankare also dressed down to insure a snug and even fit of the bracketbetween the upper and lower flanges 24 and 25 of the channeled chassisframe member 26. The portions indicated by the numeral 27 at either sideof the shank and shown in dotted lines in Fig.

8, and which must be removed, are those that remain after the forgingoperation, because of the tapers given to the die members to permittheir separation.

I claim:

1. The method of making spring hanger brackets consisting in bending thelateral legs of a member T-shaped in cross section into substantialparallelism with each other and with the shank thereof, and formingaligned apertures therein for the passage of a spring bolt.

2. The method of making spring hanger brackets consisting in angularlybending the lateral legs of a member, T-shaped in cross section, intosubstantial parallelism with the shank thereof to form a Y-shapedbracket.

3. The method of making spring hanger brackets of substantially Y-shapeconsisting in first rolling a bar of metal into substantially T-shape incross section and thereafter bending portions of the lateral legs intosubstantial'parallelism with the shank thereof.

4. The method of making spring hanger brackets consisting in forming abar of tridentate shape in cross section, dividing the bar transverselyinto sections, and thereafter bending portions of each section intospaced parallelism to form ears between which a spring may be secured.

5. The method of making spring hanger brackets consisting in rolling abar of metal into tri-dentate shape in cross section, transverselycutting the bar into sections angularly bending a pair of legs of eachsection into spaced parallelism, and forming aligned apertures in saidlegs for the passage therethrough of a spring bolt.

6. The method of making spring horns which comprises rolling a bar ofmetal to provide a pair of aligned web portions, cut

ting said bar into transverse sections, bending the extremities of saidweb portions substantially into parallelism with each other to formears, and piercing said ears to form aligned apertures for receiving aconnecting bolt.

7. The method of making spring hanger brackets consisting in forming abar of metal with laterally projecting legs, dividing the bar intosections, and thereafter bending a pair of legs of each section intosubstantial parallelism with each other, and forming apertures in therespective legs to accommodate the passage of fastening elementstherethrough.

8. The method of making spring hanger brackets consisting in forming abar of metal with laterally projecting legs, dividing the bar intosections, and thereafter bending a pair of legs of each section intosubstantial parallelism with each other, and forming aligned aperturesin said pair of legs for the passage of a spring bolt therethrough.

9. The method of making spring hanger brackets consisting in rolling abar of metal into T-shape, angularly bending the lateral legs to form apair of dependent ears offsetting the end of the other leg to one sideand forming apertures in the respective legs for attachment purposes.

10. The method of making springhanger brackets consisting in rolling abar of metal into T-shape, with a corner enlargement between twoadjacent legs, dividing the bar into sections, angularly bending'a pairof said legs into substantial parallelism and forming apertures in therespective legs and in said enlargement for attachment purposes.

11. The method of making spring hanger brackets consisting in rolling abar of metal into T-shape, with a corner enlargement between one of thelateral legs and the shank, angularly bending the lateral legs intospaced parallel relation, bending the shank to an offset position, andforming apertures in said enlargement and shank that extend at angles toeach other for the passage of fastening elements for attachment of thebracket to a frame member.

12. A rolled spring hanger bracket including a pair of spaced aperturedears for the attachment of a spring bolt, an apertured offset shank forattachment to a frame member and a corner enlargement between the shankand one of said ears, having an opening therethrough extending at anangle to the aperture in the shank for the passage of a fasteningelement therethrough for attachment to the frame member.

13. A rolled spring hanger bracket includ ing a pair of spaced aperturedears for the attachment of a spring bolt, an apertured shank and acorner enlargement between the shank and one of the ears having an aperture, the apertures in the shank and enlargement being adapted for thepassage of fastening elements to secure the bracket on a frame member.

14. A rolled spring hanger bracket including a pair of spaced aperturedears for the attachment of a spring bolt, and a shank extending in aplane substantially parallel with said ears, and having an offsetportion that is apertured for attachment with a frame member.

15. A rolled spring hanger bracket of substantially Y-shape in crosssection including a pair of spaced apertured ears for the passagetherethrough of a spring bolt, and

. an apertured shank for the passage of a fastemng element to secure thebracket to a frame member, said ears and shank lying in substantiallyparallel planes.

16. A rolled spring horn having a flange and two aligned webs extendingat substantially right angles thereto, said webs terminating in parallelears having aligned perforations therein.

17. In addition to the elements of claim 16, a corner enlargementbetween the flange and one of. said webs, said enlargement and theflange having apertures therethrough disposed at angles to each other.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALBERT W. FREHSE.

